India summons Bangladesh High Commissioner Riaz Hamidullah as ties take hit after lynching of Hindu man

India has summoned Bangladesh High Commissioner Riaz Hamidullah days after a Hindu man, Dipu Chandra Das was lynched by a mob of hundreds in Dhaka over allegations that he had insulted religion. The development also comes after Indian High Commissioner was summoned by the Bangladesh government over security of the missions following a massive protest outside the New Delhi high commission against the killing of the man.

High Commissioner Pranay Verma to convey its “grave concern” over the security of its missions in India. Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam summoned the Indian envoy to the Foreign Office.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said that Pranay Verma was conveyed Dhaka's "grave concern over the regrettable incidents" outside the perimeter of the Bangladesh High Commission and residence in New Delhi on December 20, 2025, and the “acts of vandalism at” its Visa Centre in Siliguri on December 22 by “different extremist elements.”

It read, “Bangladesh also expressed deep concern over violent protests staged outside the premises of the different Diplomatic Missions of Bangladesh in India.”

The statement said Bangladesh condemns such acts against diplomatic establishments, “which not only endanger the safety of diplomatic personnel but also undermine the principles of mutual respect and values of peace and tolerance.” Also Read | Bangladesh unrest- ‘This is a critical moment,’ Yunus-led interim govt invokes Osman Hadi to condemn violence

This is not the first time India has summoned Riaz Hamidullah. He was earlier summoned on December 17 after reports that a protest was being planned outside the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.

Rejecting the “false narratives,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that it was “unfortunate that the interim government has neither conducted a thorough investigation nor shared meaningful evidence with India regarding the incidents.”

Bangladesh has recently witnessed a fresh wave of protest after the death of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi, also instrumental in organising the anti-government protests against Sheikh Hasina. He was killed by unknown assailants.

Amid the unrest, Dipu Das was lynched by a mob and his body set on fire over blasphemy in Baluka in Mymensingh district of Bangladesh. However, new details into the incident now mention that a workplace dispute may have been the reason why Dipu was killed.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi has temporarily suspended all consular and visa services until further notice.

The notice read: “Due to unavoidable circumstances, all consular and visa services from the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi are temporarily suspended until further notice. Any inconvenience caused is sincerely regretted.”

The moves comes after India suspended visa operations at the Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) in Chittagong following a security incident.

(With agency inputs)